Match point

My new pendant lamp arrived yesterday! Matt was home to receive it and then I get a phone call at work.

"What the hell did you order now?"
"It's a light. A pendant."
"A pendant?"
"Yeah, like a chandelier. But a pendant."
"For where?"
"Above the dining room table."
"There's already a light there."
"I know. It's ugly." (It's an old brass piece of crap.)
"You had to do this now?"
"Well, I waited seven years."
"It's $269!" (Looks like Matt opened the packing slip.)
"Well, the shipping was about 50 bucks. And I think the tax was $18.)
"The light was 200? That's expensive."
"Actually, it's not that bad. A lot of drum shade pendants were $400." (I'm not lying here; it's true.)

There is silence for a minute.

"You really needed that? There's other things to spend money on."
"Like what?"
"Things."
"You mean, like a round of golf." (Point, Mindy)
He actually starts laughing. "Yeah!"
"And a $400 driver?"
"It was only 300."
"Well, I buy things for the house. It makes the house nicer. It's really an investment. Unlike your golfing."
I hear grumbling, then I go in for the finishing point.
"How bout pizza for dinner?" My red herring is food.
"Okay. Sausage and Jalapeno."

I secretly wonder how long I can keep using the golf club argument. It's hard for Matt to win these arguments because I rehearse my lines in my head when I know he's going to say something. I did get an A in debate class in middle school. It also helps to have grown up in my family, where you often heard, "Give me ONE GOOD reason!" Heck, I'll give you five.

Poor Matt doesn't stand a chance.

Next Monday the electrician is coming to install a ceiling fan that I bought on sale.